*Kyle Rittenhouse is responding to reports that he abruptly left the stage amid a chaotic atmosphere during an event at the University of Memphis on Wednesday.
The campus chapter of the conservative student group Turning Point USA invited Rittenhouse to discuss the Second Amendment and the “deceptions of Black Lives Matter.” However, according to Action News 5, students claim Rittenhouse’s handling of the Q&A session led to backlash and protests.
Footage from Rittenhouse’s appearance, circulated on X, captures his smug response when questioned about TPUSA’s CEO Charlie Kirk’s history of making anti-Black remarks.
When one student listed some of Kirk’s controversial comments about Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Supreme Court Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson, Rittenhouse responded, “I don’t know anything about that.”
The student continued to press Kyle, asking, “After all the things I just told you, would you consider that hate speech?”
Whose idea was it at Turning Point USA to have Kyle Rittenhouse speak at a college event at Kent State?
I mean wasn’t this almost certain to happen? He probably should stick to speaking at NRA conferences and MAGA rallies.
Personally I’m for hearing people out, including… pic.twitter.com/P8YjpOUbSI
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) March 22, 2024
“I’m not going to comment on that,” Rittenhouse replied, eliciting boos from the audience.
Rittenhouse ultimately fled the stage as students shouted him down. Watch the moment via the X/Twitter clip above.
Rittenhouse claims he remained on stage for his scheduled time. In a statement, he told Newsweek: “The event was scheduled for 30 minutes. I spoke for 30 minutes and then my security team told the coordinator that we were leaving after the question, and we left. I stayed for my scheduled time.”
Kirk has threatened a lawsuit over the incident and is asking for an investigation into the protests, Newsweek reports.
“I will be asking TN lawmakers to investigate if the University of Memphis colluded with local protesters to sabotage last night’s TPUSA event with Kyle Rittenhouse. We may also file our own lawsuit on viewpoint discrimination. Stay tuned!” Kirk posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
Rittenhouse was found not guilty of fatally shooting two individuals and injuring another during a 2020 protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
READ MORE: Judge Rules Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Kyle Rittenhouse Can Proceed
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